


Pep Talk

by starsurfer108



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 07:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14950556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsurfer108/pseuds/starsurfer108
Summary: Keith confronts Shiro about his own insecurities about being a leader. Set between the time that Keith confirms that Shiro wanted him to be his successor, and before Shiro disappears. (season 2 or 3, I think)





	Pep Talk

Keith gazed out into space from an isolated part of the castle. While he couldn’t say he was _completely_ at peace, it was definitely the time that he was the most peaceful. And being a ‘loner’ like the rest of the team dubbed him, he needed that peace to recharge.

He sighed, looking at the stars. Out here there were no responsibilities, no social requirements.

But that thought was now troubling for him. He could no longer enjoy the tranquillity knowing that he was doing the exact opposite of what would be expected of him as a leader. At least, to the degree in which he indulged… right now they were lucky if he’d join them for breakfast.

Damn Shiro. He’d meant what he’d said, too. What the hell did he see in him? But maybe this discomfort was actually part of the reason – he instinctively knew that he was doing the wrong thing by ostracising himself at every chance.

As usual, the moment he identified something in himself that could _possibly_ indicate good leadership, it got drowned by a thousand doubts and fears.

Fuck it – he’s not _Shiro’s_ leader. If Shiro can destroy his peace so easily, maybe he can return the favour.

~~

“And I was just getting into my happy place,” Shiro grumbled.

Keith stood like a deer in the headlights in Shiro’s doorway. “Er, I didn’t mean to intrude – I’ll come back later!”

“Hm?” Shiro responded inquisitively, removing the sleeping patch from his eyes and peeking towards the door. “Where are you going? Didn’t you want to talk?”

“Er, yeah… but, you mean you weren’t…. um…” Keith stuttered, still not turning around in case Shiro wasn’t presentable.

Shiro’s eyes bugged out, and he removed the bed covers, getting up and striding towards Keith.

Keith had a huge blush on his face as Shiro leaned his face towards Keith’s shoulder from behind. “Are you planning to face the other way the entire time we have this conversation?”

A frazzled Keith forced himself to turn around. Surprised, he could see that Shiro was in his regular clothes. Using his peripheral vision, he discreetly checked Shiro’s nether regions and they appeared completely normal and dry.

Shiro started to chuckle. “You know, you and Lance aren’t _that_ different…”

Keith looked mortified. “Great, then he can be the leader-” he said quickly as he dashed out the door only to be stopped by Shiro grabbing him in a headlock from behind.

“What was that?” Shiro hissed.

Keith tried to blurt out something, but Shiro’s grip was too tight.

“Oh,” Shiro muttered, and released Keith.

Keith spluttered. “You know, typically people need to talk in order to have a conversation.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Shiro responded sheepishly, cracking a smile. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“That I think you’re off your rocker,” Keith spat, losing decorum due to general fatigue and the vulnerable position he was in during the headlock.

“And?” Shiro didn’t react at all, behaving as if what Keith said was completely normal.

Keith huffed. “I just don’t think I can be a leader.”

Shiro blinked. “What on earth makes you think _I_ can be a leader?”

Keith flatfaced. “Erm… that would be because you already _are_ the leader… you know what, maybe you should just go back to your happy place.”

With that, he turned only to be lifted off the ground by the back of his jacket by Shiro.

Shiro gleefully leaned in. “Hang on, you were about to talk about what made me so awesome and fantastic.”

Keith turned his head and gazed at Shiro, nonplussed by his informal attitude. Their noses were only inches apart. “Well, your Galra arm that’s allowing you to lift me so easily is _pretty_ _impressive_ …”

Shiro gritted his teeth and let go of Keith, angry.

Keith collected himself, scowling. He knew it had been a low blow, but he was just so uncomfortable being that close to Shiro and at his mercy, albeit somewhat playfully on Shiro’s part.

“You know, I really did want this to be a serious discussion,” Keith said, smoothing down the front of his jacket.

Shiro looked visibly annoyed; an unusual occurrence for the typically placid leader. “Then let’s discuss things _seriously_. What do you think makes me a good leader?” he all but growled.

“Erm… I’ll feel more comfortable talking about it sitting down somewhere with a nice view,” Keith said meekly, hoping that a bit of a walk would help calm Shiro down so he could stop behaving so uncharacteristically.

“Fine,” grumbled Shiro, and stumbled alongside him.

“I think putting the team before yourself is one of the things that makes you a good leader, which is what you’re doing now.”

“What do you mean? All I’m doing is following you,” Shiro said, disgruntled.

“Shiro, I need you to think about what you’re saying!” exclaimed Keith, frustrated by his childish behaviour.

“I’m listening, Keith,” Shiro replied softly.

Keith stopped and turned to look at him dead in the eye. “Good. Because you’re all I have,” he said in an almost pleading tone.

Shiro looked surprised.

Keith turned and again started walking, Shiro following close behind.

“I just… don’t think I can be a leader. There’s simply too much to fix.”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but you already are exhibiting the qualities of a leader,” Shiro replied seriously, dropping all the irresponsible airs of before. “You have a natural ability to keep people in line, and do it in a way that adjusts to their level of receptivity.”

If Keith was relieved to see the disciplined Shiro back, he didn’t show it. “Yeah, well, knowing what to do and doing it are two very separate things.”

“You have a sense of what is right, what you need to accomplish, with regards to others and also yourself. Keep trying, and it will fall into place.”

They’d reached a lounge room in a central area. Keith stopped and looked at Shiro soberly.

Shiro pursed his lips. “Look, I won’t… _torture_ you by making you repeat the things that you think I’m doing correctly. But I may as well tell you more about myself. So this impossible _leader_ thing isn’t so far out of your reach, and also so you will know what to do given the _urgency_ of finding someone other than myself to lead,” he said pointedly.

Keith sighed and leaned against a pillar, crossing his arms and looking to the side.               

Shiro looked out the window to the space scape. “Every single day I want to run away, leave this all behind.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” Keith retorted.  

“No, it’s how I actually feel,” said Shiro softly. “After I escaped… I keep wondering if they wanted me to escape, making myself and others fall into a trap. It was difficult, but not impossible.” He looked at his Galra prosthetic. “I don’t even think I’m myself anymore. I’m a shell of my former self – whatever they did to me terrified me so much that it shakes me to my core and I’m completely unable to steady myself. A ticking time bomb. If you think that I’m anything like what I appear to be on the surface, you’re wrong. It’s just a habit from when I _actually_ felt that way… before the Galra turned my life upside down and scrambled my brains.”  

Keith had never seen Shiro like this – so unlike his calculated yet open presentation, so… _emotional_. Without thinking, he began to laugh. “I’m sorry, Shiro…” he said between chuckles.

Shiro narrowed his eyes. “It’s fine – if I wasn’t going to be a military leader, a comedian would be a close second.”

“Well, honestly… if you can’t do it, then we’re all fucked,” Keith said, shrugging and shaking his head with a smirk.

“That’s where you’re wrong. If _I_ can do it in my current state, then _anyone_ can do it. There’s something about you that I wish I had, some hidden strength, some tenacity. I just pretend to have it to raise morale. I’m a completely broken man. I can’t even do therapy – there’s nothing to talk about. It’s simply a nameless fear that grips me. But you could be much stronger, much more reliable than I could ever be.”

“I wish I could help you,” Keith said softly.

“There’s nothing you can do for me,” Shiro replied, tight-lipped.

“I don’t accept that.”

“Really?” said Shiro, giving a sad smile. “You think you know me better than I know myself?”

“It’s just…” Keith started to say, but didn’t complete his sentence.

“Being a leader isn’t about not ever feeling afraid. I feel all those things. It’s about knowing what your shortcomings are and doing your best to compensate for them, for the sake of the team. And now you know how fucked up I am, perhaps being the leader isn’t out of your reach.”

“I think you do an excellent job as a leader, Shiro.”

Shiro gave a small, sincere smile, flattered, but not liking the way that Keith still wasn’t stepping up to the task. Then he leaned in evilly. “That’s a good boy,” Shiro cooed. “Just like a trusty sidekick,” he said patting Keith’s head.

Shocked and embarrassed, Keith gritted his teeth. “Aw, you’re blushing from my compliment about your abilities.”

Shiro’s eyes flashed. “That’s a scar, you little brat!”

“Well, just be careful you don’t get any _more_ scars,” Keith taunted in a tone that eerily mimicked Lance, getting into a fighting stance.

“You really think you can take me on, you little punk?” Shiro said, bemused, facing off with him.

With a smirk, they both attacked each other. Shiro was able to sidestep and spin Keith, gripping his neck from behind.

“You seem to really like being in a headlock,” said Shiro, grinning.  

The others started coming out of their rooms, due to the commotion.

Shiro looked over at them. “Oh, don’t mind us - Keith seemed to have trouble sleeping so I thought I’d help.”

“By strangling him?” Pidge asked.

“Makes sense to me,” Lance commented nonchalantly, turning around and wandering back to his room.

Keith looked irritated. Digging his elbow into Shiro’s ribs, he followed it up with a few quick strikes and managed to flip Shiro. He landed with a crunch in a wall.

Shiro staggered back, doubled over, clutching his face.

“Shiro!” Keith ran over, alarmed, only to find himself in a familiar headlock.

“Gotcha. You can add ‘extremely gullible’ to the list of points of improvement.”

Keith dug his hands into a pressure point in Shiro’s arm, causing him to loosen his grip slightly. “Would it…  kill you… to have a shower every… once in a while?”

“Oh, it wouldn’t kill _me_.”

“Think… of your team,” gasped Keith.

Shiro laughed and let him go.


End file.
